Duck Dynasty’s Phil Robertson: I’m just ‘trying to help those poor’ gays ‘and turn them to Jesus’

Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson explained over the weekend that people had misunderstood the intent of his homophobic comments because he was just “trying to help those poor souls and turn them to Jesus.”

Speaking at the Rock the South festival Cullman, Alabama on Saturday, Robertson defended comments he made to GQ magazine last year comparing homosexuality to bestiality and adultery.

Robertson had argued that “a vagina — as a man — would be more desirable than a man’s anus,” and said that LGBT people “won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”

“You don’t wait for ’em to be 20 yrs old to marry ’em. That’s too old,” he reportedly remarked. He also said that a Southern man needed “a wife he can stand,” who would pick the feathers off his ducks.

At the conclusion of his talk, the Duck Dynasty founder urged the audience to register to vote.

“Hey, Alabama, whatever you do, register to vote for this presidential election!” Robertson exclaimed. “Go vote for the House and the Senate, too. Vote this ungodly bunch out of Washington, D.C!”

Watch the video below from the Rock the South festival, recorded on June 21, 2014.

About the Author

David Edwards has served as an editor at Raw Story since 2006. His work can also be found at Crooks & Liars, and he's also been published at The BRAD BLOG. He came to Raw Story after working as a network manager for the state of North Carolina and as as engineer developing enterprise resource planning software. Follow him on Twitter at @DavidEdwards.